Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Between the machinations of the bishops of Nigeria (++Akinola) and Uganda (++Orombi) I am pretty sure they have now stepped into the abyss.Both countries have legislation pending that will create a whole new society of criminals -- yes that is correct, LBGT will become criminals subject in some cases to the death penalty in both these countries. One would think that both archbishops would have their hands full with the following.

UGANDA:

A child goes missing, abducted, in the United States. The police are notified and they issue what in America is referred to as an Amber Alert. Radio stations begin broadcasting descriptions, while TV stations flash pictures of both the abductor and abducted across the screen. Billboards along major roads flash pertinent information regarding the abduction. The police move out in force with helicopters and planes and the Army National Guard may even be engaged. Everything is put into operation to bring a child home to its family. At the same time, they go after the abductor to put him behind bars, so she or he cannot harm any other child.

In another part of the world, on the other side of this globe, in the northern districts of Uganda, 30,000 children have been abducted in the past 20 some years. Most every family in the Acholi and now Langi area has been affected. Many families have lost a child through abduction, or their village was attacked and destroyed, families burned out and/or killed, and harvests destroyed by an army of abducted children known as The Lord’s Resistance Army. The countryside is virtually empty and people have moved into safe villages that are supposed to be protected by the government, but that has often been in words but not in deed. At night the children of the north flee into towns to sleep, fearing that they might be abducted. They find safety in numbers in towns such as Gulu where even the local bishops and ministers have joined them as they seek safety from the Lord’s Resistance Army.

NIGERIA

However, MEND said the six expatriates were kidnapped for ignoring its warning that oil and gas workers steered clear of the Niger-Delta, pending resolution of certain grey areas, warning of more dire consequences for any foreigner that disregards its warning in future.

The hostages would remain in MEND's custody indefinitely and until issues raised by it were adequately resolved by the Federal Government and stakeholders in the region, the groups said.

The MEND statement, signed by its Spokesman, Gbomo Jomo, read: "their arrest is meant to serve as a warning to others that there are root issues that have to be resolved with the Nigerian government before normalcy could resume, such as return of displaced civilians to their ancestral home, compensation for damages, return of ill-trained JTF to their barracks, and last but not the least, constitutional amendment to address fiscal federalism."

One would believe that based on these two press releases alone, the Anglican Church in general and the respective archbishops specifically would have their hands full just trying to relieve the nationwide suffering these two issues cause. One would hope that as Christians they would set aside whatever personal beliefs they might hold and adopt a position that demonstrates the two great commandments but oh no, they have mayhem and now worse on their minds.

Akinola has decided that the Archbishop of Canterbury is no longer a necessary part of the Anglican communion (see the Jerusalem Declaration). At other times he has indicated that he is the next Archbishop of the Anglican Communion. Henri Luke Orombi continues to support a strong anti-gay message along with the Mouth Lion that Roars.

And speaking of Canterbury, just where is our Archbishop of Canterbury on this monstrous issue? Has he gone AWOL? Is he afraid the speak up since the Global South will take their marbles and go home?

Take a moment and go to Jake's Place and let's all participate in the World Day of prayer. We must END once and for all the atrocious behavior of those who would unthinkingly (or even thinkingly in the case of these) persecute to death our LBGT brothers and sisters. But do not stop there -- the end of persecution is not the goal -- the goal is full inclusion worldwide of all persons. Full rights for each and every person everywhere in the world.

++Orombi, put your energy to the task of solving the abduction of your children and ++Akinola put your efforts into freeing the foreign hostages. Is it possible, is it time, that you both can begin to act like primates of the Anglican Communion?

Birds of a Feather

Friday MorningOriginal photography, Susan Frazier

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